FORMULA 1 - 2016

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FERRARI HAVE AERO UPGRADES FOR MALAYSIA

Reports in Italian media suggest that Ferrari have a package of updates which they will roll out for the forthcoming Malaysian Grand Prix.

The updates are expected to be in the area of aerodynamics and cooling. Rain is expected during the race weekend, with thunderstorms being predicted for qualifying and race day.

Speaking ahead of the weekend at Sepang, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel said, “I think if we get everything right. We know we have a strong package for sure. I think we believe in ourselves.”

“For sure we are not entirely where we want to be in terms of raw pace, sometimes better or sometimes worse, but at tracks like Singapore it is generally more close.”

“We expected to be competitive, and then there is always a chance to win or fight for a solid podium. Unfortunately it didn’t turn out for both of us. But we have confidence.”

“There are some bits coming still. We are here to fight and that is what we are going to do,” added Vettel who triumphed in last year’s edition of the race which Ferrari has won seven times, more than any other F1 team.

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FORMULA E BOSS WOULD LOVE TO SEE MASSA ON THEIR GRID

Felipe Massa would be a welcome addition to the Formula E grid says series boss Alejandro Agag, as the Brazilian races in his final season in Formula 1.

Agag told El Confidencial, “When I heard he quit F1 I sent a WhatsApp and told him we should meet, I’d love him to come here. In fact, it’s the teams who choose their drivers, but I would love for someone with such quality to come to us.”

“He (Massa) also mentioned DTM and WEC but the fact that a driver like him says he wants to come to us means that we are a real alternative for the big boys,” Agag added.

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HONDA PLAN TO TAKE PENALTIES IN MALAYSIA INSTEAD OF SUZUKA

Honda are set to introduce a power unit upgrade for the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend to avoid doing so at their home race a week later at Suzuka,

Honda has three engine development tokens left to spend this season but both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso have already used their allocated components for the season. That means a new upgrade would lead to engine penalties for both McLaren drivers, something Honda is keen to avoid when it returns to Suzuka.

Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda’s F1 chief, wants to avoid disappointing their fans on home soil.

“We introduced a new engine in Spa and at that moment we had nine races [to go] so we need to introduce one more engine. If you split the nine races it could be Malaysia or Japan or the USA. We do not want to introduce the new engine and get a penalty at Suzuka, so Malaysia makes sense.

“We are still discussing it with the team. I don’t think the fans will let me take a penalty in Japan. I will not be allowed to walk into the circuit!”

Last year the team was embarrassed by Fernando Alonso’s rant when he likened the Honda powered engine on his McLaren, at the time, to a GP2 engine.

It is not known at this stage if both Alonso and Jenson Button will get upgraded engines at Sepang.

“This is also another discussion point for the team,” said Hasegawa. “I don’t want to get both cars behind from a race tactics and a constructors’ point of view. It might be better to split the tactics for the cars.”

Hasegawa hinted that Honda may look at areas away from the internal combustion engine [ICE] to upgrade this time around.

“Currently it is not very good on the dyno result, so I’m not sure we can introduce the new combustion. We will see. We may introduce [the upgrade] in a different area because once we change the combustion it will cost us so much setting time we do not want to put a lot of resource on it this year.

“The weight reduction or a tougher cylinder block or other area would give more power,” added Hasegawa

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VANDOORNE: I HAVE A LONG-TERM DEAL WITH MCLAREN

Stoffel Vandoorne has revealed that he has a long term deal with McLaren and feels no pressure after it was announced that he would replace veteran Jenson Button in the team next year, while revealing that he almost got the drive at the start of this season.

“I don’t see that situation as extra pressure,” Vandoorne told the official F1 website. “I have a long-term deal with McLaren. Hopefully we soon will be able to get back to the competitive level where McLaren used to be.

“In terms of next year, yes, it is a special structure – but I think it is one of the best. Myself and Fernando are going to race – and then it is good to keep Jenson as well.

“He is the most experienced driver in F1 now and he will be involved with the team, be it in the simulator or coming to a few races.”

The Belgian also revealed that he was being considered for to join the F1 grid at the start of this season, “I don’t know what discussions were going in behind the scenes, but I remember a year ago when I was finishing GP2 that, of course, there were a lot of rumours around that I might get the drive already for 2016.”

“Alas it didn’t happen back then, but yes, I remember all the hype surrounding it. And to be honest I was a little disappointed at the beginning – it was a tough moment for me to understand that F1 would have to wait another year.”

This did not transpire as McLaren retained Button and Fernando Alonso with Vandoorne reserve. The team also arranged a seat in the Japanese Super Formula to keep him race fit.

“I kept my head cool and won the last two GP2 races that season and actually broke the record in that series. I knew it was best to give the answer on the track.”

“Sure, time is always pressing in a driver’s career, so I knew it had to be next year – as it was probably my last chance of getting to F1,” mused Vandoorne who did his ‘shares’ the world of good when he finished tenth in his F1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he stood in for injured Alonso.

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RICCIARDO: ROSBERG WILL WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Daniel Ricciardo has been best of the rest behind Mercedes for most of this season and is sticking his neck out and predicting that Nico Rosberg will beat Lewis Hamilton to the 2016 Formula 1 world championship title.

Speaking to Sky Sport, Ricciardo said, “Before the summer break when Lewis made up that deficit on Nico, I thought no one was going to touch Lewis, but Nico has come back! I’m going to throw a spanner in the works and say Rosberg [will win it].”

The tension between Rosberg and Hamilton is obvious, particularly in the period from when they get out of the cars until the end of the official post-race press conference, and including the podium ceremony – a fact that amuses the Red Bull driver.

“It’s awkward for me because it’s so silent!” admitted Ricciardo. “I don’t like silence too much, so I’m like trying to either talk to myself or make conversation with them, but they’re happy to enjoy the awkward silence. It’s quite fun!”

Ricciardo has finished five times on the podium so far this season, but has yet to post a grand prix victory despite coming close in Monaco and most recently in Singapore. He lies third in the championship standings.

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History repeating - the divergent tales of Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg

Leaving Monza and going to Singapore the gap between the top two in the drivers’ championship table could scarcely have been closer. But you’d hardly know it. The guy behind had the momentum on the basis of crude results too, creeping up on Lewis Hamilton at the table summit consistently across the preceding weeks. But, again, you’d hardly know it.

Most it seemed were determined not to take him seriously; viewed him as some kind of interloper. Only there through fortune. Both in individual races as well as at the aggregate level – in the best car and with a team mate perhaps not making the most of things. He’d won races, plenty of them. But, the conventional wisdom went, he was not one from the top drawer. He had neither the rounded game nor the consistency for that. And despite the proximity just about everyone assumed that Lewis, somehow, somewhere, would strike out for the ultimate honours before the campaign was out.

Yet at this possibly the year’s toughest challenge, all bumps, turns and forbidding walls, in the last part of qualifying around the Marina Bay circuit he wiped the floor with his opponents, with a stunning pole lap clocked at well upwards of half a second quicker than everyone else’s including Lewis’s. And it felt not only like a shock but also like a watershed. Perhaps even was a realisation. Plenty of observers indeed recognised it as such, frantically re-calibrating their views. ‘Woah’, they thought, ‘perhaps he does deserve his place in this fight’. And, implicit in this, ‘perhaps we do have a title battle after all’.

It may all sound familiar. But I’m being mischievous. I’m not talking about Nico Rosberg’s extraordinary qualifying effort in Singapore last weekend. I’m rewinding to eight years before that to the qualifying session at the very same venue in 2008. With in the ‘Nico role’ one Felipe Massa. The parallels between then and now I’m sure you’ll agree are rather striking.

Massa’s season in the sun is of course well-documented and has been given particular focus lately given Felipe announced his F1 retirement a few weeks back which leads us naturally to reflect on his F1 time. And in turn to reflect on his high tide watermark, that demonstrated the heights he could reach if all was right.

The precise point of his breakthrough in that breakthrough 2008 campaign can be debated of course. Many look to the qualifying session in Monaco, when he put in another splendid late effort to beat his haughty opponents, apparently inspired by his engineer Rob Smedley suggesting that he was “braking like a girl”. As with Singapore it was among the season’s most acute challenges. It was perhaps also the first time that he had excelled at a track other than Bahrain's, Turkey's or Brazil's, where he was considered a specialist. Others pinpoint him sweeping his way around the outside of Lewis at Hungary’s first turn, to lead and control a race that his foe was expected to dominate.

But even with these his astonishing Singapore qualifying lap served as a heck of a wakeup call to observers, as well as served even more than those other achievements to cement his status. Some of those more loyalist to Hamilton ventured – with a hesitant, lump in throat tone akin of one who’d just been told their spouse was cheating on them – that perhaps Massa was running on fumes, in these days when the top 10 did the final part of qualifying with the fuel for their opening race stint aboard. Not so, he only had around a lap’s less gas than Lewis, which only scratched the surface of the pace difference.

“Massa’s lap was a beauty,” said an admiring Mark Hughes watching on, “a study in committed entry speeds, bold and early on the throttle, supreme on the brakes. It may well have been the Q-lap of the season to date.”

But there is another well-documented reason that our thoughts of Massa’s F1 time centre on 2008 and all that. In F1 as in most things we love a tale of what might have been. And Massa’s season, and particularly the events of Singapore, come with large helpings of pathos.

As he wasn’t able to make good on it all on race day. For the first 14 laps Felipe looked well on the way to doing just that, stroking out a comfortable lead. But then of course we had Renault’s notorious professional foul, after its driver Nelsinho Piquet and at least one other member of the team cooked up a scheme to crash deliberately, require the safety car to be brought out, which would be much to the advantage of its other driver Fernando Alonso who had pitted just before.

This at a stroke cost Massa the win probably, but all was not yet lost. He remained ahead of his title antagonist Hamilton who was similarly impeded. But… under the rules of the time for some reason the pit lane didn’t ‘open’ for the first few laps of a safety car period, meaning the field was packed by the time all were allowed to come in for servicing (it also gave massive advantage to cars that had pitted just before the safety car’s appearance, which was precisely what Renault was seeking to take advantage of).

Come lap 17 when the pit lane did ‘open’ much of the field therefore came in as one, and given this congestion Ferrari’s ‘traffic lights’ system to tell the driver when to stop and go (now de rigueur but was being pioneered by the Scuderia at the time) was operated manually by a crew member rather than automatically as usual. Again though, but… for reasons that have never been explained this manual operator got an itchy finger and signalled Massa to go early with the fuel hose still attached. The Brazilian’s Ferrari proceeded down the pit lane with the still-connected hose – ripped from the rig under the red car’s acceleration – wagging sadly in its wake. Massa then stopped at the exit for what seemed an eternity (his team mate Kimi Raikkonen had to be serviced in the meantime) before some assorted Ferrari hands ran down to remove the hose and let him go.

Suddenly he was dead last at a track where overtaking is near enough impossible. To add insult to injury shortly after green flag racing resumed he got a drive through penalty for an unsafe release (as among it all he was let out just in front of Adrian Sutil’s Force India).

The eventual upshot was that on a day that Massa looked certain to gain points on Hamilton and with it take the championship lead, he in fact lost six to his rival. And he missed out on the title in the end by just one.

Massa even now considers it something that aches like a pulled tooth. Even though there are other losses of points that season that would have tipped the title his way (possibly inevitable when it is lost so narrowly), Massa considers Singapore a stand-alone. “It is not part of racing, it is not part of the rules” he said some years later. “That was the most significant race in losing me the championship. With what happened in the race, I cannot believe that the federation was able to leave it like that. They needed to cancel the race…”

And it is in this that we got our major departure between Massa’s Singapore case eight years ago and Nico’s this time. Unlike Massa he did indeed win out; he did indeed leave Singapore with the title lead. Someone pointed out to Nico too afterwards that being at the table top post Singapore is something of a title bellwether – in seven of the last eight seasons the pace-setter at this point has gone on to win the world championship. Nico though, with his resolute ‘take every game as it comes’ exterior, didn’t welcome being told this.

Just like Massa though in the course of the weekend Nico rather dashed some common criticisms of him. In Nico’s case, one is that he can’t perform at his best when it really counts for the title. Another that he can’t do so when the pressure is on. Neither was the case this time.

There perhaps was another tenuous parallel between Nico’s race just passed and Massa’s back then. As with Massa he led off the line and looked set for a comfortable run to victory; for Nico this was so for much more of the way – until lap 45 of 61. Yet this time as in 2008 the shift had a grimly ironic, intra-team slant, albeit on this occasion an inadvertent one. As it was Nico’s own Mercedes squad that did the groundwork for the unanticipated threat to his triumph. In seeking to get Lewis ahead of Raikkonen for third spot by having him pit one more time the knock on effect was that second-placed Daniel Ricciardo suddenly had nothing to lose from bolting on fresh, softer compound boots and with them seeking to chase Nico down. After a thrilling chase he only failed to do so by a scant half second.

But from this Nico also was able to emphasise the apparently new model him. Really there can be fewer more trying situations than when you’ve been cruising around for however long, your win appearing assured, to have the Honey Badger with the smell of a victory in his snout ripping well upwards of two seconds a lap out of your lead. “It's not a nice feeling” said Ricciardo afterwards, extending some empathy. And this at the season’s toughest physical and mental test, wherein the slightest error will likely be punished on the spot. You can add to this that it was at a vital moment for the championship. Nico did not flinch.

It was something Jackie Stewart reflected on.  “I think he drove one of the better races he’s done in his career,” said JYS, “in the sense that this is a circuit where the slightest error of judgment can take you out. The pressure he was under because of the world championship points, he could easily have over-driven, he could easily have been too conservative, and he didn’t do either. He drove just a very well balanced race.”

As noted it didn’t seem just about this weekend either, much more broad recalculations about Nico’s abilities, and potency in this year’s title fight, were going on as a result also. Again it felt like a watershed. At the very least the title destination didn’t seem nearly as inevitable as most had assumed at the start of the weekend.

“For the first time I feel that Nico has the speed, ingredients and confidence to take this title in a straight fight” admitted Martin Brundle indeed when looking back on the Marina Bay fare.

“He’s moved himself onto another level”, Maurice Hamilton concurred. “When he lost that lead of the championship and Lewis was coming back strong I thought ‘oh, that’s it’. In think we’d all written it off, we thought this championship’s going to be settled, around about now perhaps! I think it’s going to run right to the end as Rosberg’s raised his game, there is no question…”

How quickly things change, as Maurice Hamilton noted. We’re a mere seven weeks on from heading into the summer break assuming the title was Hamilton’s. A mere three weeks on from Spa’s aftermath when we thought similar, as Lewis had taken his long anticipated engine penalties and minimised the points damage to a much greater extent than thought.

Rosberg defies allocation perhaps more than any F1 driver that’s ever been, certainly among the front-runners and habitual winners. Even with there being plenty of evidence accrued in the full glare of being in a top car there still is no clear sense around of where he sits in the pecking order. It’s a matter that often is debated vigorously, reflecting as much…

But think of Brazil in 2014 when we thought Lewis was cruising to the title after a run of wins, only for Nico to delay it by winning out. Think of last year and his giving away of the race and the title in Austin, his cap tossing and all that. We thought he was done, but then he went immediately on a run of seven consecutive race victories. Indeed with this perhaps we can allocate him after all, at least in one way – as someone who just when we’re at the point of writing him off definitely can be counted upon to bounce right back. Never rule him out, in other words.

People will point at Lewis’s bad luck this season, with some justification, but it’s hard to fault the way that Nico has taken advantage. There also have been at least a couple of rounds, Hungary’s and Germany’s, wherein Nico looked possibly the quicker but Lewis benefited from establishing the lead and controlling things from there, in the way that Nico’s detractors ‘accuse’ him of doing.

While of course to have won 21 Grands Prix in three and a bit seasons as Hamilton’s team mate suggests he must be doing something right. With eight to his name this campaign it means also that the least he’ll take away from 2016 is the most victories in a season without winning the ultimate honours, already with six rounds to go.

“He’s got it aced” Brundle continued in Singapore, “his qualifying is good, he gets off the line, his race craft seems fine.

“Yes he wins when he’s at the front, but he keeps getting at the front.”

As outlined in F1, as in most things indeed, we love a tale of ‘what if?’ And this poignancy applies absolutely to Massa’s tale in 2008 – just what if Piquet et al hadn't concocted their sour scheme, and Felipe presumably had cruised to the Singapore win just as Nico did? Well this time, in our equivalent, it seems we’ll get to find out.

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Haas will ‘let’ Grosjean speak

Haas will not silence Romain Grosjean despite the Frenchman’s damning criticism throughout the Singapore GP weekend.

After an epic start to the season in which Grosjean scored points in three of the opening four grands prix, with a best result of P5, Haas have fallen off the pace of late.

This has left Grosjean frustrated and not afraid to voice it.

In the wake of Friday’s practice in Singapore, he said it was the “worst Friday you could imagine”, while after his qualifying crash he said that his “confidence is shit, close to zero.”

Grosjean failed to take to the grid on Sunday, his race over before it even began due to a brake problem.

His continuous criticism has raised questions about how Haas will manage the driver, however, team principal Guenther Steiner is adamant he won’t silence him.

“You know me, I let people speak,” Steiner told Motorsport.com. “He’s got an opinion. It’s his personality.

“It’s easy for me to say, ‘Romain, don’t say these things any more.’ But then you guys have no fun! So why should I kill everybody’s fun?

“I’m not too critical about that. If he decides to be like this, it’s OK. After the race we spoke, he was frustrated, he was pissed off. I would be, and I am.

“He got over it, and he’s ready now for the next race. That’s the only thing you can do.

“We need to analyse what went wrong, but he didn’t do anything wrong, so he doesn’t have a lot to analyse. He has to get ready and get prepared for Malaysia.”

The team boss acknowledged Grosjean’s frustrations in Singapore but insists his comments were aimed at the set-up issues, and not the VF16 as a whole.

“I think that was just referring to the set-up, that does not refer to the car in general because the car two weeks ago was pretty good,” he told F1i.com. “A car doesn’t fall apart in two weeks. We just couldn’t find the set-up.

“It started bad and it ended worse. If you don’t run in FP1, FP2 I always say if you try and do too much in too short a time you pay the price for it, we lost practice as well.

“In FP3 we weren’t on the ball, and then in qualifying he had to overdrive it to get somewhere near to a good time and put it in the wall.

“Then we had to change the gearbox and when we changed the gearbox maybe this [brake-by-wire] problem appeared. It all started in FP1 and we never got out of the negatives, the downward spiral.

“He’s frustrated but I spoke to him and said, ‘Let’s get back to the Malaysia again, let’s get back to when we were good in Spa and Monza, let’s see the glass half full.'”

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Bottas: Williams lost "a lot of points" through tyre struggles

Valtteri Bottas has no doubts that Williams’ lack of tyre expertise this year has cost the Grove-based team valuable points in Formula 1 this season.

Williams is locked in a tight fight with Force India for fourth in the constructors’ championship, with just one point separating the two outfits with six races remaining.

But in a bid to help its chances of securing the top four spot, Williams recruited former Ferrari man Antonio Spagnolo ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix to help boost its tyre knowledge – which had been lacking after it lost a key engineer to a rival earlier in the season.

Bottas said it had become obvious to the team that not being on top of tyres was costly, especially because it is an area where Force India is very strong.

“There have been a few races where we definitely haven’t optimised in terms of our calculations for the tyre life, and so on,” explained Bottas.

“Definitely we have not been in top four of the teams in terms of understanding the tyres, and if we want to be there at the end of the championship, we need to be there in all the areas – especially with the tyres.

“Some other teams being better [at understanding tyres] has definitely cost us a lot of points this year, but we know it and we are working on it.”

When asked if the Force India battle had highlighted Williams’ situation, Bottas said: “I think so.

"Even some races where we felt the cars were very equal in terms of pace or even we were slightly better, somehow they managed to get a better outcome of the race.

“Hockenheim was a good example. The calculations we made in terms of strategy didn’t match the reality.”

  

Long-term R&D plans

Williams performance chief Rob Smedley said that Spagnolo’s role was not just about helping with understanding on tyres on a race weekend, as it was also about driving forward R&D projects in the future.

“It [tyres] is an area where we were deficient,” said Smedley. “Already, we’ve created a group around Antonio and he has come in and he has got his own ideas.

"He is an extremely clever guy and he is definitely helping us already with what we are able to do on a weekend. But there is a lot of other stuff that we need to do, and in the background in terms of R&D.

“It is not just about about what we are doing on a weekend and day-to-day survival, it is also about putting medium/long term R&D in place that will bear fruit - to take us out of the performance field we are now and take us onto the next level.

“It is not about maximising what we have got, it is looking where the next area of performance is, and he will help us do that along with his group.

"We have some good young people in there, identified people inside Williams and outside Williams, and we are still actively recruiting and expanding that, so it is something that is going to be a good fillip for the team.”

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Analysis: Has Mercedes broken the 1000bhp barrier?

Formula 1's turbo hybrid engines have been on the receiving end of criticism since they arrived back in 2014 over their lack of sound and fuel efficiency characteristics.

But one area where they do not fall short is in the power stakes, with them pumping out much more horsepower than the V8 power units that they replaced.

They easily charged past the 900bhp figure, and there are now indications that the benchmark engine produced by Mercedes is giving out as much as 1000bhp during qualifying laps.

Of course, the figure will not be confirmed, with the technicians led by Andy Cowell at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains obviously keeping details about its state-of-the-art engine a secret.

However, sources with good knowledge of the situation suggest that the latest specification Mercedes engine that was introduced at the Belgian Grand Prix is producing 980bhp.

But a manufacturer not currently involved in F1 conducted a data-gathering exercise at the Singapore Grand Prix to check on the progress on the current power units.

Using sound analysis to compare the performance of the engines – allied to calculations of the electrical energy boost – an interesting aspect came to light.

The results of the sound testing, which have been supplied to Motorsport.com, suggest that at peak power the Mercedes is able to reach an impressive peak of 1000bhp

This is during the final qualifying efforts, when its drivers are able to make use of a special setting to get a power boost for 50 seconds to aid their qualifying performances.

     

The magic button

Estimates suggest that this 'magic button' boost for qualifying – which changes the mapping of the engine – is worth around 80bhp.

We know from the Belgian Grand Prix that Mercedes customer Williams was left three-tenths of a second down when neither Felipe Massa nor Valtteri Bottas could use this qualifying setting on Saturday afternoon.

Even using the 980bhp figure, which includes the 160bhp that comes from energy recovery from the MGU-H and MGU-K, it means the internal combustion engine is producing around 820 bhp.

That in itself is hugely impressive considering it is just a 1.6-litre engine and has strict limits in terms of a fuel flow rate of 100 kg per hour at 10,500rpm, plus a number of exotic materials that could help improve performance are banned.

If you take away the 80bhp boost that Mercedes is estimated to have for qualifying, it means that in the races, the Mercedes is producing 750bhp from its engine – a figure that is not much greater than Ferrari's 061/1 – while Renault and Honda are a little further away.

What seems to make a big difference to the Mercedes performance is that it has more peak power available when it is needed in qualifying and certain race situations.

At the restart at the Singapore Grand Prix on lap three, Nico Rosberg was instantly able to open up a lead over Daniel Ricciardo to get himself out of the DRS zone – before the engine was wound back down to allow him to maintain the gap.

Ferrari's form this season appears to show that it is in a position to match Mercedes in race settings – but falls back when it comes to deliver a qualifying boost.

It is an area that the engineers at Maranello have been working exceptionally hard at trying to address to allow Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen to challenge the pace-setting Mercedes.

     

Reliability concerns

It will be a tremendous achievement by Andy Cowell if Mercedes is now pushing on past the 1000bhp barrier, for it is something that Ferrari has not been able to achieve because of reliability concerns.

Mercedes' reliability has been pretty strong over the second half of the campaign – despite early issues this season for Lewis Hamilton which resulted in him needing to take extra power unit components at Spa.

Ferrari still has much work to do to be able to unlock a qualifying boost, with a clever system last year of storing fuel past the fuel flow meter to deliver an extra boost when needed having been clamped down on by the FIA.

There have also been rumours that gains can be had by using trick chemicals in the oil to boost power in the fuel chamber, but whether this is truth or fantasy is unclear.

What we do know, however, is that Mercedes is the class of the field in power stakes right now, as F1's engines return to the peak levels of power that were last witnessed in the mid-1980s.

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Leading F1 commercial figure Zak Brown steps down from current role

Zak Brown, one of Formula 1's leading commercial figures, is to step down as CEO of the CSM sport marketing and entertainment group.

The move could free him to take up a role alongside new F1 chairman Chase Carey.
In the wake of the Liberty Media takeover of F1 earlier this month, there has been widespread speculation that Carey would seek to make several key management appointments.

These would be intended to develop and grow Formula 1 in areas where it is perceived to be ripe for growth, such as digital media and in key territories including North America.

Speaking at the Singapore GP Carey said: "I do understand managing businesses [and] putting the right team in place to be working with Bernie [Ecclestone] and his team."

Autosport understands that while Ecclestone's position as CEO of the Formula 1 Group is not in question, Carey is keen to establish quickly areas he believes can be developed, and appoint a team charged with delivering on his stated objectives.

"You cannot make everybody happy all the time," Carey said, "but you've got to understand what everybody wants and then find a path.

"That is not a task for a committee, as committees tend to become bureaucratic - but there also can't be a dictatorship."
Brown has emerged as one of the strongest candidates for a senior F1 commercial position, given his track record of delivering new sponsors to teams and to F1 itself.

These have included Martini with Williams, UPS with Ferrari, Johnnie Walker with McLaren and UBS with the F1 Group.

The Just Marketing International group that Brown founded in 1995 became the world's largest motorsport marketing agency, before being acquired by CSM, the sport and entertainment division of Chime Communications, in 2013.

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WEHRLEIN: I WANT TO BE WORLD CHAMPION WITH MERCEDES

Pascal Wehrlein has emerged as a candidate for a seat at Williams thanks to his connections with Mercedes, but admits that another season with Manor would not be a bad alternative as he marks time before, what many expect will be, a move to Mercedes.

When asked about his 2017 plans by Sport Bild, Wehrlein said, “Let’s see what happens. I would like a decision before the end of the season.”

“Of course I want to one day drive for Mercedes and of course I want to be world champion with Mercedes. But I also know that the contracts of Lewis [Hamilton] and Nico [Rosbsrg] expire at the end 2018. There is no plan, except always to deliver impressive performances,” explained Wehrlein.

With Felipe Massa departing F1 at the end of this season, a place is open at Williams. Although Valtteri Bottas has yet to be confirmed by the team, it appears likely he will remain at the Grove based outfit.

Meanwhile a deal is in the pipe-line to run Lance Stroll, who is undergoing an intensive test programme ahead of a final decision to determine if the 17 year old is ready for the move to F1.

Should Stroll be kept back for another year, then Wehrlein is likely to jump the queue as a preferred candidate for the Williams seat.

Of his stint with Manor, Wehrlein said, “In the end two years with Manor would be a good thing. because I have overcome major challenges to help improve the team.”

“If I move to another team, alongside a more experienced teammate, and I can show I am better then this increases my chances of a drive with Mercedes,” added Wehrlein.

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MEXICO PROMOTERS WANT MORE F1 RACES IN AMERICA

Mexican Grand Prix organisers hope U.S. company Liberty Media’s takeover of Formula 1 will boost their event by expanding in the region and eventually creating a North American season similar to Europe’s run of races.

Liberty, owned by cable TV mogul John Malone, agreed this month to take control of the global sport in a deal expected to lead to expansion in the U.S. market that Formula One has struggled to crack.

“When we are trying to build new audiences and bring new fans and create a new fan base, it does get a little complicated,” Mexican Grand Prix marketing director Rodrigo Sanchez told Reuters.

“We wish we could have more and more races on prime time on our side of the world and I think the only way we will get that is if, collaboratively, there start being more races in the region in general. It would be great to basically consolidate Formula One in North America.”

Formula One currently has three North American races — in Montreal, the Texas state capital Austin and Mexico City. There is also one in South America, the Brazilian Grand Prix at Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit.

Canada’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been on the calendar since 1978, although the contract has yet to be extended beyond next year, and this year was scheduled between Monaco and Azerbaijan.

Mexico returned to the calendar last year after a 23-year-absence while the United States has tried out 10 different venues over the years and had no race between 2007 and 2012, when Austin made its debut.

Europe has a block of races, Canada apart, running from May to September.

“We need to keep promoting Formula One… amongst the entire continent. We don’t have the luxury as a geographic region that some of the other areas have,” said Sanchez, whose Oct. 30 race is paired with Texas.

“It’s well known that there is just a European part of the season. Having more races within your geographic area, it definitely helps to build a good fan base.

“There really hasn’t been any longevity or consistency in the events, whether they change cities or disappear for a few years and come back, especially in the United States,” added Sanchez, whose race has a contract to 2019.

Formula One’s new chairman Chase Carey, an American, has said he sees the United States as a big long-term growth area.

The sport’s 85-year-old chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has long talked about adding a race on the west and east coasts, with a return to Las Vegas considered most likely and Miami also mentioned.

Sanchez said this year’s race was 90 percent sold out and expected a full house come race weekend. Last year’s race day crowd was put at 135,000 with a three-day attendance of 336,000.

Mexico currently has two drivers on the starting grid, Force India’s podium-chasing Sergio Perez and Haas F1’s Esteban Gutierrez, who has yet to score this season.

The 12th corner of the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit has been renamed after local hero Adrian Fernandez, now an ambassador for the race, who was runner-up in the U.S. CART series in 2000 and ran his own team.

There are also plans to improve the podium ceremony by allowing more of the crowd onto the track.

“You look at Monza and it’s just a beautiful picture of that front stretch full of people. So hopefully we can create something special this year,” said Sanchez.

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KVYAT: THERE IS NO PLAN-B NOR C OR D FOR 2017

It’s been a traumatic season for Daniil Kvyat, demoted from Red Bull back to Toro Rosso in July, and a future uncertain since then, but the Russian is focusing on driving while admitting he does not have a Plan-B should Red Bull oust him from their junior team at the end of the season.

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport amid speculation that Pierre Gasly is poised to take his seat in 2017, Kvyat said, “I can only do my job as well as possible. The rest I do not care about. There is neither a Plan-B nor C or D. The only plan I have is to drive as much as possible.”

“I always try to get the maximum from the car. My qualifying session at Spa was just as good as my performance in Singapore. Only the result was bad. For me it is important that the right people see that. The rest I do not care about.”

As for the strain of his headline grabbing demotion, Kvyat said, “For me the chapter is finished. It was not as dramatic as it was reported. During the summer break, I had time to get some distance.”

“But after three weeks I was back in my race car. I have turned the page, ended the old chapter and I concentrate only on what lies ahead. With a positive attitude,” stated Kvyat.

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HONDA: IN 2018 WE ARE READY TO SUPPLY ANOTHER TEAM

Honda appear to be gearing their factory at Milton Keynes to supply a second Formula 1 team despite their exclusivity deal with McLaren and Honda F1 project chief Yusuke Hasegawa indicating that the Japanese manufacturer is merely planning for the future.

Hasegawa said, “We don’t have any room to provide any resources to another team but we should be that type of manufacturer. We have to prepare more resources and organisation.

“Maybe at the end of next year we have to say that we are ready to prepare an engine for another team, so we will prepare the organisation. We’ve already built up the factory in Milton Keynes, a larger one. It’s not huge but it is big enough.

“So if we decided to prepare a second engine for a second team we just have to hire the people, the engineers. We have plenty of spare desks for them!”

Honda have had a troubled return to Formula 1, which they dominated in the late eighties and early nineties.

They departed the sport as a constructor at the end of 2008, their F1 operation morphing into Brawn GP which went on to win the world championship in 2009 albeit with Mercedes power. A year later the operation was bought out by Mercedes who now dominate the sport.

Hasegawa revealed that current F1 teams have expressed interest in an engine supply deal, “Actually everybody is asking me if there’s any possibility that Honda can supply an engine, but it’s just chatting.”

“From a concrete business point of view, no, we don’t have anything,” he confirmed.

McLaren chief Ron Dennis is clear when they will agree to Honda supplying additional teams, “In blunt terms, let’s get to the point where we’ve won the world championship first and then we’ll think about it.”

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DE LA ROSA SAYS SAINZ DOES NOT NEED TO ENVY VERSTAPPEN

Max Verstappen was chosen over Carlos Sainz when Red Bull decided, in July, to promote one of their Toro Ross drivers to the senior team to replace under-performing Daniil Kvyat, but former F1 driver turned pundit Pedro de la Rosa believes the Spaniard is as good as the Dutchman.

Speaking to El Confidencial, De la Rosa said,”In Carlos I see maturity and spectacular speed. I think he is a driver who has surprised everyone. Not only is he very fast in races, he is solid in all sessions.”

“People only talk about Verstappen, but Carlos has no need to envy Verstappen. I think he has a huge future.”

“I am also impressed by how he analyzes races and has no problem admitting when he does things right wrong. He reminds me a little by Rafa Nadal, when he plays bad a match he acknowledges it.

“Carlos does not make excuses when he has a bad race. He turns the next page. I think it’s an attitude of a champion, I’m sure that comes a lot from his father,” added De la Rosa.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Fernando Alonso is a Spaniard who is nearing the end of his career is mulling whether he stays in Formula 1 beyond 2017.”

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MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX: FORCE INDIA PREVIEW SEPANG

Force India preview the Malaysian Grand Prix, Round 16 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Sepang.

Team Principal, Vijay Mallya, reflects on points in Singapore and the remaining six races.

Vijay, the team was unlucky in Singapore, but did well to score points…
VJM: “It’s never nice to see one of your cars eliminated on lap one. It becomes even more disappointing when you realise it robbed Nico of a golden opportunity to score some big points. That’s racing – sometimes you have to take the bad luck on the chin. Once Nico was out, it was all down to Checo who made his way from P17 to eighth at the flag. We had to make some quick decisions on the pit wall, but Checo and the team executed the ambitious strategy to perfection. It was a great all-round team performance.”

How is the mood in the team with just six races to go…
VJM: “We are certainly at the ‘business’ end of the season. The morale is high; the drivers are happy and the car is working well. So we feel optimistic, but after nine years as a Team Principal I’m well aware that we cannot take anything for granted. Formula One always throws up surprises and I imagine there will be more twists and turns to come. So I’ve told the team to keep doing the same job we have done all year and to enjoy the challenge ahead of us. Being back in fourth place is important, but it’s being there at the end of the season that counts.”

Nico Hulkenberg looks ahead to the Malaysian Grand Prix.

“It feels strange to be going to Sepang at the end of the season, but it’s also a nice change to mix up the calendar. It’s one of the hottest events of the year and the temperatures make it quite tough on tyre degradation. The tyres will be important here, managing them throughout the race is crucial and it’s an area we really concentrate on understanding with the engineers. Coming after Singapore, I hope we will be a bit more acclimatised to the hot weather – it may even feel like a relief after the real oven of Marina Bay! I’d rank these two events as the toughest races of the season from a physical point of view – you really need to be at the peak of you fitness to do well here. Most of the races I remember in Malaysia have seen crazy weather conditions, in April, with monsoon rain, red flags and aquaplaning everywhere. I am quite curious to see how it will change now that the race is in October. It’s a track where I have scored some good points and where I had a strong race in 2014, so I hope to go there and create some more special memories.”

Sergio Perez hopes to score more points in Sepang this weekend.

“Getting a good result after a difficult weekend, as in Singapore, is a big boost for everyone in the team. It shows we can overcome challenges and that you should never give up. Kuala Lumpur is a very interesting and busy city. There are many things to do and see so it’s always cool to be there. The weather usually plays a big role in the race and it will be interesting to see how this year’s changes to the calendar affect the weekend, with the race going from April to October. Sepang is usually a circuit where rain is a certainty rather than a possibility. It’s where I scored my first podium in Formula One, in 2012, thanks to making the most of the weather conditions. Being in a position to fight for the win came as a shock for me as we did not expect it, but the emotions of that day will stay with me forever. It’s another physical race, with the heat and humidity. The track itself is very long and there are a several technical corners. There are long straights with big braking zones that require precision and the high temperatures take the life out of the tyres quickly, especially the rear ones. We have done well in similar hot conditions this season so hopefully we can be on the pace once again.”

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MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX: MERCEDES PREVIEW SEPANG

The 2016 Formula One World Championship season continues this weekend with Round 16, the Malaysian Grand Prix, from Sepang

Nico Rosberg: “Singapore was a perfect weekend for me. I felt great in the car, had a fantastic qualifying, made a strong start and then came out on top after a really intense battle with Daniel (Ricciardo) at the end of the race, which made the win all the more fulfilling. The team did such an impressive job understanding what went wrong last year and turning it around. I’m massively proud of everyone for that. It’s an incredible position to be in as a driver, knowing you have a shot at winning every weekend. I won’t take it for granted. I’ve had a good run lately and I’m enjoying the moment. But as far as the next race goes, or the next one after that and so on… it’s anyone’s game. Red Bull and Ferrari are both pushing us really hard, so there will be some tough weekends ahead. It’s exciting for the fans and pushes us even harder to keep improving, so that’s a great thing. Malaysia didn’t work out perfectly for us last year, so if we can win it this time against such tough opposition that would be really awesome. I can’t wait to see all the guys from Petronas who work so hard to give us that extra competitive advantage and hopefully give them something to cheer about at their home race.”

Lewis Hamilton: “Singapore was a difficult weekend for me, so to come away with a podium in the circumstances was pretty good damage limitation. Ultimately, Nico did an exceptional job and I didn’t have my best weekend. But that’s the way it goes. We’re both fiercely competitive. Some weekends he does great, some weekends I do great. It’s a combination of things that all come together to make a strong weekend and every one is different. I have no idea if the momentum will swing back to me or when it might. But we still have six races left, so I just have to keep giving it my all and hope for the best. That’s all you can do as a sportsman. It’s going to take some good results to get back in front and stay there – but I’ve had plenty of those in the past, so there’s no reason to think they won’t come back to me again. Sepang is my first shot at it and I’m really looking forward to getting out there. It’s a track I usually go pretty well at – plus we have some really fantastic support from the Malaysian people, including all the guys and girls from Petronas. It should be a great weekend, so if we can get a result to match that would be awesome. Let’s see how it goes…”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We saw Formula One at its best in Singapore. Just like in football, where you have good games and bad ones, this was a classic. I’m proud of the team for how we bounced back after last year and we take our hats off to Red Bull and Daniel (Ricciardo) too, as they made it a huge battle. This is how Formula One should be and, although it was extremely tense, I thoroughly enjoyed the race. Now we go to Malaysia, which is a big weekend for us. To win in what feels like our second home, in front of thousands of friends and partners from Petronas, would be very special. But, like Singapore, this was a race where we underperformed last year, so we will need to push hard to put that right. We can guarantee that the drivers will be doing just that. This year more than ever, we’ve seen that they are pushing each other to new heights. We’re entering a gruelling phase of this record 21 race season, where the physical and mental challenge of a Championship reaches its absolute peak. We’re in good shape – but we must remain on our toes to get the ball over the line.”

Paddy Lowe, Executive Director (Technical): “We’re all very much looking forward to Malaysia. With Kuala Lumpur being the home of Petronas, we very much see this as one of our home Grands Prix. In 2015 we didn’t manage to secure the win, which was hugely disappointing to us, so we have all the more motivation to come back and get it right this time around. Focusing on the technical aspects of the circuit, it’s a very challenging weekend. The heat and humidity make life tough for drivers, team and cars alike, while the track action can often be affected by rain, which tends to be very heavy and arrive very suddenly. As such, we’ve seen some very eventful races in Malaysia over the years. The nominated tyre compounds for this event are the hard, medium and soft, with the unusual scenario of the hard as the obligatory race compound – meaning that, if the race remains dry, every driver must use that tyre. The characteristic of the circuit itself is more ‘normal’ than that of Monza or Singapore, which were more focused on more specific areas of car performance. Sepang places an even emphasis on power, aero efficiency and mechanical grip, so we’re looking forward to seeing how we fare and aiming to put in a strong performance for the Malaysian fans.”

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MERCEDES COULD SEAL CONSTRUCTORS’ TITLE IN SEPANG

Although their drivers look set to slug it out for the 2016 Formula 1 world championship title until the final race, Mercedes could wrap up their third consecutive world title at the forthcoming Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Silver Arrows lead the constructors’ standings by 222 points, they need only finish within seven points of, best of the rest, Red Bull and within 22 points of Ferrari (in third) to secure the 2016 title with five races in hand.

Thus a victory in Sepang and any other points-scoring position would secure the title for Mercedes.

The German team has won every race this season except for the Spanish Grand Prix when Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton collided on the opening lap.

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HEINEKEN WANT MORE F1 RACES IN ASIA PACIFIC

Heineken’s Senior Global Brand Director Gianluca di Tondo has rfevelaed the desire of his company to expand into the Asian market with more races on the continent in future.

Speaking to the Formula 1 website, Tondo said, “Heineken is super-strong in Europe, We were born in Europe and are a European brand – but the playground for the future is Asia Pacific.”

“Asia Pacific is a strategic area for us and having seven races around this area is fantastic and the passion for Formula 1 in Asia is tangible.”

Tondo is keen to see a race in Vietnam, “We are very present in Vietnam through a local partner and they were our guests in Monza and they were over the moon. So why not have a race in Ho Chi Minh City?”

Liberty Media, F1’s new owners, are keen to entrench th sport in traditional markets while growing it in the United States which might bring them into conflict with Heineken’s ambitions.

But Tondo said, “If there is program to double up in the US that, of course, is very interesting for us as the US is our biggest market. If you take it as a single market, it is still our biggest one.

“In the US it is easier to activate things that become popular and we are open for discussions to make Formula One even more popular together,” added the Heineken executive.

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MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX: RED BULL DRIVERS PREVIEW SEPANG

Red Bull drivers preview the Malaysian Grand Prix, Round 16 of the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship, at Sepang.

Max Verstappen: “Malaysia is very humid and very hot, a bit like Singapore. I like the Sepang circuit, it’s pretty cool. It has a nice combination of fast corners at Turn 5 and 6 and good overtaking opportunities at Turn 9. The weather can vary quite a bit as well. We can get some pretty big storms, but then the track can dry up very quickly because of the high temperature. Last year I did a bit of sightseeing while I was there, and Malaysia seems like a very beautiful country. I really enjoyed it.

Daniel Ricciardo: “I like back to backs. Looking at Malaysia and Japan they are both very challenging circuits. Malaysia physically is a hot one. We usually go there at the beginning of the season so it is going to be interesting going there now with a lot more development on the car and seeing how it performs. I checked the weather and it seems pretty constant all year round so that shouldn’t change much, but Sepang has been resurfaced so that could be interesting for tyre life.”

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MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX: HAAS PREVIEW SEPANG

Perhaps no team competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship is looking forward to the Malaysian Grand Prix Oct. 2 at the Sepang International Circuit more than Haas F1 Team.

The first American Formula One team in 30 years had high expectations heading into the series’ most recent race in Singapore. It brought significant updates to its racecars, with the Haas VF-16s for drivers Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez getting outfitted with new front wings, floors and brake ducts. And in addition to having new parts and pieces that would allow for quicker lap times, Grosjean and Gutiérrez were ready to attack the track, with each praising the layout and embracing the challenges it offered.

But then practice began, or didn’t for Grosjean. His car developed technical issues and after making only two installation laps, an engine inlet air leak sidelined him for all of FP1. Then came a spin into the barrier in FP2, followed by another spin into the barrier in qualifying. Lastly, an issue with the car’s brake-by-wire system on raceday meant that Grosjean was scratched from the start of the Singapore Grand Prix. Perhaps the only person happier to see the checkered flag drop at Singapore other than Grosjean was race winner Nico Rosberg.

Gutiérrez had a trouble-free weekend in comparison, but with Grosjean’s limited running time, the new front wing was shelved as Gutiérrez instead focused on collecting tire data. It was a shrewd move, as Gutiérrez took advantage of all the information available to qualify 13th and finish a respectable 11th, but still one spot shy of earning points.

Knowing that Gutiérrez is on the cusp of adding to Haas F1 Team’s 28-point tally in the constructor standings is reason enough to look forward to Malaysia. For Grosjean, of course, the opportunity to turn laps and drive farther away from the circumstances of Singapore is even more welcome.

With Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit growing ever smaller in Formula One’s mirrors, the industry turns its sights to Sepang International Circuit, the purpose-built Formula One racetrack outside Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

Constructed in an astonishing 14 months, Sepang was the first Formula One track noted designer Herman Tilke built from scratch. When the 5.543-kilometer (3.444-mile), 15-turn circuit opened on March 9, 1999, it was considered revolutionary, with modern facilities and a unique design.

Two massive straights bookended by tight corners are signatures of the track. It’s a twisting layout that challenges the drivers and their engineers. The track’s width allows for numerous overtaking opportunities, but the incredible speed that can be attained on the straights is actually restricted by the fast, flowing corners as teams sacrifice outright speed for aerodynamic grip and balance.

This places extremely high loads on the tires. Heavy braking increases the load, as drivers spend 17 percent of their lap under braking. Add an abrasive track surface and high ambient temperatures and you get a cauldron of punishment for the four tires carrying the driver and the sophisticated car beneath him. It’s why Pirelli has brought the hardest tire compounds in its range to Malaysia – the P Zero Orange hard, the P Zero White medium and the P Zero Yellow soft – a combination that was last seen in early July for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit.

But with weather often impacting practice, qualifying and the race, expect to see Pirelli’s Cinturato Blue full wet tire and Cinturato Green intermediate tire at some point during the race weekend.

Torrential rain storms are a frequent occurrence at the Malaysian Grand Prix as its tropical environment and mid-afternoon start time conspire for unwieldly conditions. This was especially evident in 2009 when the race was forced to end after only 31 laps as rain inundated the track. This prompted the FIA to award half points to the drivers participating, the first time half points had been awarded since the 14-lap Australian Grand Prix in 1991.

Points of any kind are what Haas F1 Team seeks. Eighth in the constructor standings, 19 points behind seventh-place Toro Rosso and 21 points ahead of ninth-place Renault, Malaysia provides another opportunity for Haas F1 Team to further distance itself from Renault and challenge the more established squads that are still in reach with six races remaining. And after quickly turning the page on Singapore, Haas F1 Team is ready for Sepang.

Guenther Steiner, Haas F1 team manager

After a difficult weekend like the one you experienced in Singapore, how do you put it behind you and focus on the next opportunity, in this case, Malaysia?
GS: “We analyze what we’ve done and find out what went wrong and try to put measures in place so it doesn’t happen again. On the morale side, I think the guys were a little bit down after Singapore, but I think if you are a real racer you always try hard again and never give up. I think everyone is up for it and rule No. 1 for Malaysia is to make up for what we didn’t do in Singapore.”

As team principal, you wear many hats. When you have a difficult race weekend and you’re dealing with frustrated personnel, how do you juggle the technical aspects of the car with the personalities that make up the race team?
GS: “On the technical side, I’ve got very good people and that allows me to focus on other aspects of the team. I have to drive the team’s focus, so I try to motivate them again and make them hungrier because we haven’t shown what we are fully able to do.”

Can you explain the brake-by-wire system and what makes it so complex?
GS: “It’s basically a system in which the rear of the car adjusts with how much the engine is braking with the ERS (Energy Recovery System) and how much the driver is braking with the normal brake. It is a very complex part of the car, but our problem was very simple. It was a connector that fell off. To get to the connector you have to take the gearbox off and, obviously, there was no time to do that.”

How do you go about troubleshooting the brake-by-wire system and how do you ultimately come up with a solution?
GS: “It was strange because in the first corner it worked, but all of the sudden it went away. When Romain came back in, all of the electronics personnel tried to reset all of the software settings and it didn’t work. The guys then took the bodywork off to see if there was any connector that wasn’t connected outside of the gearbox, and there wasn’t. So at that stage everyone was quite sure it was the brake-by-wire system, which is inside the gearbox. It takes one-and-a-half hours to take the gearbox off and, at that point, the race would be over.”

The logistics of Formula One means the racecar was out of your hands Sunday night after Singapore. When do the mechanics get to put their hands back on the car and make the necessary changes to the brake-by-wire system?
GS: “Sunday night after the race in Singapore, we took the gearbox off and it was as simple as reconnecting it. We’ll manufacture a device in Europe to be sent via air freight to Malaysia to ensure the connector doesn’t fall off again. It will be fitted on the car before we get on track in Malaysia.”

You had some updates to the car at Singapore, specifically a new front wing, floor and brake ducts. Did they perform as you had hoped or is the data inconclusive because of Grosjean’s limited running time?
GS: “We didn’t run the new front wing because the drivers weren’t sure how to set the car up with the new wing. We need to re-test it in Malaysia. It’s very difficult to test something in Singapore due to the walls. The readings of the data are sometimes different because you get different aero data when you’re running between two walls. The brakes ducts all worked. They will be on for the rest of the year with no problem.”

How important is it to log as many laps as possible at Sepang to not only overcome the difficulties from Singapore, but to get comparable data from two racecars regarding the updates that debuted at Singapore?
GS: “If we can get back to a normal weekend routine and get through the program, we can get the data we need. If not, we can’t do it properly. In Singapore, Romain stopped after FP1 and Esteban’s focus was more on the tires and not the front wing, so we didn’t have the data. In Malaysia, if we run a normal routine, we can test the wings back to back and get the data. In Singapore, we didn’t have that luxury because we had to send Esteban out to get data on the tires.”

Despite all the adversity the team faced in Singapore, the car continued to show speed and Gutierrez logged another 11th-place finish, one spot out of the points. Does that make you think the weekend wasn’t as bad as it seemed or does it increase the level of frustration because you’re so close to scoring points?
GS: “It definitely increases the level of frustration. If you finish 11th with one car, you wonder if you could’ve finished 10th or better with the other car.”

Singapore is hot and humid. Malaysia is hot and humid. With these two races being so close together and run in similar environs, is more data transferable from one race to the next?
GS: “Some of the tire data is transferable, but not all. But at Singapore, we run during the night and in Malaysia we run during the day. There will be a big difference in the climate conditions.”

Romain Grosjean

After a difficult weekend like the one you experienced in Singapore, how do you put it behind you and focus on the next opportunity, in this case, Malaysia?
RG: “It’s actually very straightforward. It was frustrating not to race. It’s what I love to do. I just want to go to the next one and get on top of all the issues we had. Singapore was a very difficult weekend for myself, but mostly for the guys on the team.”

There is a multitude of changes to the Sepang International Circuit this year, so much so that the promoter says drivers will feel like they’re racing at it for the first time. Even though you have experience at a particular circuit, how long does it take to become familiar with the intricacies of a track when it receives an update?
RG: “With the resurfacing, you’ve got to go through with the cars and see if the grip is different. There’s also a lot of rain at Sepang, so we could see some big aquaplaning. We’ll be working as hard as we can to deal with all the conditions.”

On Thursday of every grand prix race weekend you walk the track with your engineers. What is the goal of that walk and this weekend at Malaysia, does the track walk take on added importance because the track has undergone so many changes?
RG: “It’s usually a good sun-tanning session! It’s good for seeing changes, because every track we go to there’s a little bit of change each year. It’s also good to spend over an hour walking with the guys, talking about the program for the weekend and what we can do better, and a little bit of socializing. It’s always a good time. We can do our work and have some laughs at the same time.”

Singapore, site of the last grand prix, was hot. But Malaysia is even hotter. With Singapore preceding Malaysia, does it help prepare you better for the heat and humidity?
RG: “Kind of, yes. Even though I didn’t get much racing in Singapore, you get your body used to the heat regardless with your overall fitness and training. That helps you feel good when you get there. Your body is better prepared to accept the temperatures you encounter.”

In Singapore, all of your track time came either at dusk or at night. In Malaysia, it all happens in the heat of the day. Is Malaysia a more physical race because everything takes place under the glare of the sun?
RG: “They are two of the most difficult races of the season with all the elements to consider. As I didn’t race in Singapore, I’m absolutely ready, physically, to race in Malaysia.”

The weather in Malaysia is predictably unpredictable, with heavy downpours late in the afternoon commonplace. Do you go into the weekend like you do at Spa-Francorchamps, where you know a lap around the circuit can suddenly change due to weather?
RG: “Yes, it can rain at one point of the circuit and not at all on the other side. I think that was the case last year. In qualifying, in Q2, I told my guys, ‘It’s raining,’ and they replied, ‘No, it’s not’. For me, it was pouring down and I could barely keep the car on track. I was on the edge. Suddenly the guys then got the rain and were like, ‘Yes, we can see it’. So yes, Malaysia can be very variable with the rain, and in a short amount of time. It’s part of the show and part of the game.”

The energy loads are high at Sepang. The tires take a beating, but so do the drivers. Between the heat and the g-forces sustained over the course of a race, how physically demanding is the Malaysian Grand Prix?
RG: “I think it’s pretty much the hardest race of the year. Singapore is a slower track with slower corners, whereas Malaysia has high speed with high loads. Again, it’s a great challenge, a great track, and when you have a good car, it’s an amazing experience.”

When it’s hot and the race is physically draining, how important is mental preparation prior to the Malaysian Grand Prix?
RG: “It’s always very important. Of course, when you are physically suffering as well, it’s more important to stay calm. It’s like riding up a hill and someone’s trying to chat to you or your phone’s ringing nonstop. You can get fed up with that very quickly simply because you’re tired. You just need to be ready for every race.”

Where are the overtaking opportunities at Sepang?
RG: “There are plenty. There are some big straight lines with good top speed, and then some big braking zones. It’s a track with high tire degradation. Overtaking is really good fun at Sepang.”

Do you have any milestones or moments from your junior career that you enjoyed at Malaysia?
RG: “I remember GP2 Asia in 2008. I had the pole position in Sepang by around a second or something like that. It was a very fast time. I stalled on the grid, came back from last and almost climbed back up to first, but I was pushed out by a backmarker. I finished ninth, while the top-eight were then reversed on the grid for the second race. I started the second race from ninth and finished second. It was a weekend where I should’ve won both races but, unfortunately, didn’t. I love the track though.”

What is your favorite part of the Sepang International Circuit?
RG: “I’d say turns five and six – very high-speed corners.”

Describe a lap around Sepang International Circuit.
RG: “Big braking into turn one – it’s very similar to China, both turns one and two. Long right-hand side corner, then a left hairpin. You need good traction. Then you have a long straight line going to turn four. Big braking, 90-degree right-hand side corner going up a crest. Then you have very high-speed corners going through turns five and six, almost flat out. Then it’s a small brake for the double right-hand turn eight. It’s a mid-speed corner with very tricky traction going through to the next turn, another left-hand side hairpin. The right corner is very long. It’s quite good fun when the car is well balanced. You then have a bit of straight line going to turns 12 and 13. Flat-out left corner, big braking, with g-forces from taking the corner. Then it’s a long straight line approaching the final corner. Big braking to carry minimum speed, then it’s full-throttle as early as you can to finish the lap.”

Esteban Gutierrez

There is a multitude of changes to the Sepang International Circuit this year, so much so that the promoter says drivers will feel like they’re racing at it for the first time. Even though you have experience at a particular circuit, how long does it take to become familiar with the intricacies of the track when it receives an update?
EG: “We’ve experienced new tracks before like Baku, and Budapest and Austria as well, which were completely resurfaced. Now comes Malaysia, so I don’t expect it to be too complicated. It’s always nice to have change in the track, so I’m really keen to get to know it. Hopefully the grip is going to be very high, because when the grip is high, it’s much more fun to drive.”

On Thursday of every grand prix race weekend you walk the track with your engineers. What is the goal of that walk and this weekend at Malaysia, does the track walk take on added importance because the track has undergone so many changes?
EG: “Yes, definitely. It’s actually one of the main targets – to walk the track to see the changes that have been made to the track, the curbs, to spot some bumps. Sometimes the tracks when they get used with cars running – different categories, different types of cars – it changes through time. It’s important to have a look at the bumps that can affect the stability of the car in certain braking areas or curbs, things like that. You need to be aware and take notes so you can really optimize the track when you’re out there in the racecar. It’s important from the engineers’ point of view and also from the driver’s point of view.”

Singapore, site of the last grand prix, was hot. But Malaysia is even hotter. With Singapore preceding Malaysia, does it help prepare you better for the heat and humidity?
EG: “Singapore is one of the most demanding races because it’s a street circuit and the humidity is very high. It’s also very hot. One of the benefits is that it’s at night and that’s why it’s less hot than Malaysia. You have the same level of humidity in Malaysia, but everything happens during the day, so it’s really hot. At the same time, it’s not a street circuit like Singapore. It’s much more flowing, with long straights where you have a bit of time to recover.”

In Singapore, all of your track time came either at dusk or at night. In Malaysia, it all happens in the heat of the day. Is Malaysia a more physical race because everything takes place under the glare of the sun?
EG: “No, I don’t really think it’s more demanding than Singapore. Actually, I believe that Singapore is the most demanding, physically. Malaysia is obviously very, very hot because it all happens in the heat of the day, but because the track is more flowing, it’s not as demanding as Singapore.”

The weather in Malaysia is predictably unpredictable, with heavy downpours late in the afternoon commonplace. Do you go into the weekend like you do at Spa-Francorchamps, where you know a lap around the circuit can suddenly change due to weather?
EG: “There isn’t a lot you can do to prepare for that. You just have to be very open and very flexible, because it can rain any time. You do need to be able to anticipate a little bit when you know rain is coming just so you can get the most from the track conditions that are available. It makes Malaysia pretty special because when the rain comes, it’s usually in a big thunderstorm.”

The energy loads are high at Sepang. The tires take a beating, but so do the drivers. Between the heat and the g-forces sustained over the course of a race, how physically demanding is the Malaysian Grand Prix?
EG: “It’s a physical race, but not more than Singapore. Malaysia is a different track. Still demanding, but more flowing. That’s always been the case and even with all the changes, I don’t expect it to be too different. Its flowing and fast corners are what make the difference, and that’s a characteristic of the Malaysian Grand Prix.”

When it’s hot and the race is physically draining, how important is mental preparation prior to the Malaysian Grand Prix?
EG: “It goes together, physically and mentally. The mind is the most important, but then the physical side is what starts to trick the mind. That’s why we get ready with a lot of physical training. We arrive for the weekend with the right mindset – a clear mind in order to get the most of every opportunity that comes up in the weekend.”

Where are the overtaking opportunities at Sepang?
EG: “I would say the main straight, turn one and probably at the back before the last corner. The two main straights are the biggest overtaking opportunities.”

Do you have any milestones or moments from your junior career that you enjoyed at Malaysia?
EG: “It was one of my first grand prix in Formula One. It used to be at the beginning of the season back in 2013, and I have great memories from that, so I’m really looking forward to coming back and enjoying the circuit.”

What is your favorite part of the Sepang International Circuit?
EG: “I would say probably turns six and seven – a very high-speed corner left and right. It’s a beautiful corner and you can really feel the car on the limit.”

Describe a lap around Sepang International Circuit.
EG: “You approach turn one with a lot of speed. After a long straight, at the first corner you brake and turn in with a lot of lateral load. It’s a fairly long corner that goes into turn two, which has a change of surface angle which makes it a bit tricky on the apex to get the right grip for the exit. Then you come down flat out and into turn three. You approach turn five, which is basically a 90-degree corner to the right where you can use all the curbs available. Then you come to turns six and seven, which is my favorite part of the circuit – high-speed corner left and right. Turns eight and nine comprise a right-hand corner, which is basically two apexes on one whole corner. Then you arrive into turn 10, which is a hairpin. Big braking, and there’s also change in the surface which makes it pretty difficult to get the right traction out of that corner. By that time the tires are pretty hot, so you struggle with the traction out of the hairpin. Then you go into turn 11, which is not really a corner but preparation for turn 12, which is a medium-speed corner. Then you have (turn) 13, which is a left-handed, very high-speed corner where you’re flat out. Then you come to the famous corner from Sepang, which is a very long corner to the right with a lot of braking. It’s a very technical corner because it has so many different lines which you can really use depending on the setup of the car and depending if you are on a qualifying lap or in the race. Then you come down the straight and into the last corner, braking pretty late into a medium-speed corner. It’s important to carry the speed in where you really go deep and then prepare with a right line for the exit and come to the straight line.”

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo wary of Sepang ‘tyre life’

Heading to a resurfaced Sepang circuit, Daniel Ricciardo admits it could impact the tyre life of Pirelli’s rubber.

Since Formula 1 last raced at the Malaysian Grand Prix, the Sepang circuit has undergone resurfacing.

This caused a few problems at a subsequent MotoGP test as when the track had dried out after the rain, there were still weepers.

The organisers have taken steps to resolve this issue with the FIA confident there won’t be any problems this weekend.

However, there is still tyre wear to contend with with Ricciardo stating that it will be “interesting” to see how the Pirelli’s hold up.

“Malaysia physically is a hot one,” said the Red Bull driver.

“We usually go there at the beginning of the season so it is going to be interesting going there now with a lot more development on the car and seeing how it performs.

“I checked the weather and it seems pretty constant all year round so that shouldn’t change much, but Sepang has been resurfaced so that could be interesting for tyre life.”

[MIKA27]

F1 Malaysian GP: Button to toast 300th Gand Prix start in Sepang

Jenson Button is confident the demanding Malaysian Grand Prix on both driver and car will not expose McLaren's weaknesses as he hopes to end a frustrating run of races. 

The 2009 F1 World Champion is expected to make his 300th race start in the sport having made his debut in 2000 for BMW-Williams as he prepares for a year sabbatical from F1 in 2017. 

Button has enjoyed victory on one occasion at Sepang, on his way to the 2009 world title, while he has also achieved three further rostrum results including his maiden F1 podium in 2004 for BAR Honda. 

Despite the podium looking unlikely with McLaren's current pace Button is optimistic of a strong showing from the Woking-based squad this weekend. 

“Sepang is becoming a modern classic – although it's a relatively new circuit, it's one of those tracks that drivers enjoy going back to,” Button said. “The conditions are like nothing else we experience, the circuit is quite technical and fun to drive, and the atmosphere is always great. 

“As drivers, we're all well equipped for these conditions as part of our training, but it does take its toll by the end of the weekend. You definitely need to be in peak physical fitness to cope with the heat. I'm ready and excited to get out there and start my 300th grand prix, and hopefully have better luck than I did in Singapore.” 

Button is confident his McLaren-Honda MP4-31 will not suffer its usual deficiencies at power unit-dependent circuits - while Honda is considering a power unit update at either Malaysia or its home race at Suzuka next week - and he is once again targeting a tight midfield battle. 

“Although it's traditionally seen as a high-speed circuit which isn't usually something that our package favours, we do have a good car under braking which is necessary to handle the tight corners after the long, fast straights,” he said. 

The 36-year-old will be keen to end a run of three races outside of the points, having suffered two retirements in that time, and mark his 300th F1 race start with his first points since the German Grand Prix. 

[MIKA27]

HASEGEWA: NEXT YEAR WE EXPECT TO BE EQUAL TO MERCEDES IN HORSEPOWER

Honda F1 boss Yusuke Hasegewa is bullish about the future as he predicts that next season the Japanese power unit, developed during his watch, will match Mercedes for horsepower and his views are backed by McLaren team chief Eric Boullier and their star driver Fernando Alonso.

Hasegewa told F1 Racing, “Next year we expect to be equal to Mercedes in horsepower. That is the first target, even though on the size or weight or centre of gravity, or especially the reliability, it is difficult to achieve the same level.”

Honda, whose power unit currently houses the turbine and the compressor, want to mimic the Mercedes layout next year of the compressor situated at the front and the turbine at the rear of the engine, thus allowing for a bigger turbo.

But Hasegawa is aware of the challenges, “It’s hard to realise. That is why Ferrari and Renault don’t create it. That is why I can’t tell if we can realise it.”

Indeed McLaren have improved since last year but are still off the top three teams, and entrenched in the mid-pack battles.

But Boullier is clearly singing from the same hymn sheet as Hasegewa when he told F1 Racing magazine, “We are more ready than ever to win.”

“We had to decide on a concept that we believed would be a winning one and develop it over the years, not just months. That is what Red Bull have been doing for seven years, Mercedes for five years.”

“When you take an average of all the races, we are fighting with Ferrari in terms of chassis. Red Bull and Mercedes are better than us, but we are the best of the rest.”

The British squad is experiencing the worst run in their illustrious history. They are second on the all time winners list, yet they have not one a grand prix since 2012.”

The optimism is shared by Alonso, who is adamant that world titles are the goal, and wrote on Twitter, “I want to be 2017 Formula 1 world champion.”

“We are going in the right direction. In future when it comes to competitiveness in the F1 world championship, you have to be driving for Mercedes or McLaren. That’s my opinion, my feeling,” said Alonso recently.

[MIKA27]

ALONSO: THE GOAL IS TO BE WORLD CHAMPION IN 2017

McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso answered questions from his fans on on Twitter, here are some answers that give us insights into the double Formula 1 world champion’s current state-of-mind:

What do you expect from the 2017 F1 season?
FA: The goal is to be world champion. Hopefully we can be more competitive.

What do you think of the idea of introducing refueling again?
FA: I found refueling great.

When should a boy start karting?
FA: Between the ages of eight and fourteen.

Do you play Pokemon go?
FA: Noooooooooo !!

Is there a musical instrument that you find particularly relaxing? And one that you annoying?
FA: I find the sound of a piano very relaxing. I am not a big fan of the flute, maybe because we had to play it in school….

Which two young drivers you would choose to be in your team?
FA: Carlos Sainz and Stoffel Vandoorne.

If you could choose the location of your first victory for McLaren-Honda, where would it be?
FA: Monaco.

Will you write an autobiography as some point?
FA: Yes. And I plan to start writing soon.

What was the hardest moment in your racing career?
FA: When I was a F1 test driver in 2002, because I always wanted to drive in the races.

What was the hardest of all of your races?
FA: Malaysia 2005. [A very hot and humid day at Sepang, where he raced with a fever and went on to win]

If you were a footballer, what position would you play?
FA: Midfield. Like Xabi Alonso. [Wink and smiley emoticon]

If you and a teammate were trapped in an elevator which teammate would you choose to be with you?
FA: With Fisichella.

Should we have more or less than 21 grand prix races in a season?
FA: I found 16 to 18 Grands Prix fine.

Which country or race would you like to have back on the F1 calendar?
FA: Magny-Cours in France.

Alonso is one of the most active Formula 1 drivers on Twitter, shortly after he joined the social media service he explained, “Since I started using Twitter, I am the one who says what I am doing.”

“Before, it could be said that I was spending my holiday with elephants or that I was having dinner with Obama, but now for example, I can be the one to say that I was in Italy, skiing on New Year’s day before going to Russia and from there to Brazil to take part in the kart race organised by Felipe.”

“Tweeting means I can be in direct contact with my fans, to help them discover aspects of my job that they would never get to know otherwise.”

“Of course, I can’t say everything because in Formula One, a lot of information has to remain confidential, but I think it is still a fun and useful tool.”